Nigeria High Commission to refund £50 on disputed UK passport fees

The Nigeria High Commission in London has announced it will refund £50 to applicants who paid a £70 administrative fee for the ongoing special passport intervention exercise, bringing the charge down to the standard £20.

The notice, published on the High Commission’s website on Friday, September 11, comes after public protests and media scrutiny forced a reduction of the controversial fee earlier in the week. The refund applies to those who had already paid the higher amount during the exercise, which began on September 7 in collaboration with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

The £70 charge, along with a £150 fee for lost or damaged passports, had been imposed without clear approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Officials familiar with the process told journalists the extra payments were introduced to “generate revenue” and facilitate the exercise.

This ran contrary to a directive from the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, which had capped administrative charges by Nigerian missions for similar interventions at £20.

Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo had earlier expressed concern over the inconvenience faced by applicants and denied that any separate administrative fees beyond official passport costs were required. NIS spokesperson Akinsola Akinlabi reinforced this on Friday, stating that the only applicable fees remain $162 for a five-year passport booklet and $242 for a 10-year booklet. “No additional charges are required to participate in the intervention exercise,” he said.

Despite the rocky start—marked by long queues, venue disruptions in London (including a last-minute move from the original site after reported issues), and the fee controversy—the exercise has drawn strong demand. In the first four days alone, 1,477 Nigerians were successfully processed and enrolled at centres in London and Manchester. More than half of those already have their passports produced and dispatched to their addresses.

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In response to the high turnout, Tunji-Ojo approved an extension of the exercise in London and Manchester from the original end date of September 19 to October 3. Centres are also operating or scheduled in Cardiff and Aberdeen.

Applicants must book appointments via the High Commission’s website and present the required documents, including proof of payment for the passport itself, an appointment slip, and (where applicable) their current passport.

The High Commission has updated its guidance to list the £20 administrative fee (payable by postal order or e-payment) as the standard charge, while maintaining the £150 fee specifically for lost, misplaced or damaged passports. It has also issued a public disclaimer distancing itself from claims that the higher £70 fee had any presidential approval, confirming that £20 remains the approved standard.

The intervention aims to clear backlogs of new applications, renewals and pending cases for Nigerians in the UK. Eligible applicants are urged to use only official channels and avoid any unofficial payment requests. Further details on the extended dates, locations and procedures will be shared through NIS and High Commission platforms.